Chapter 331: He walked the red carpet, with the empire behind him
The car door slid open silently.
A long leg clad in matte black suit trousers stepped out.
The tip of a polished leather shoe landed precisely on the edge of the red carpet.
Without the slightest hesitation.
Imdiately after, a slender yet upright figure erged from the vehicle.
A pure black suit, its fabric unnaturally devouring the surrounding light, somber and heart-stopping.
The only spot of brightness was a brooch pinned to the left side of his lapel, over his heart.
A pigeon-blood red gemstone glimred faintly.
Jiang Ci.
The mont he appeared, the entire row of security personnel maintaining order behind him collectively held their breath.
The captain at the front frowned slightly, shot a look at his colleague, and the human wall instantly tightened into a genuine defensive line.
The dia reporters on the scene went wild.
Yet, Jiang Ci did not show any trace of being overwheld by the attention.
He closed the car door and calmly, directly, walked towards the three Towering Figures standing at the start of the red carpet.
Wei Song was the first to step forward, positioning himself between Jiang Ci and the other two directors.
He scrutinized Jiang Ci up and down, taking in his face which had regained so color but remained pale,
and the aura around him, even more serene than during the filming of The Legend of Han and Chu.
No communication was needed.
The four of them naturally fell into position.
Jiang Ci stood at the very center.
Wei Song stood to his left.
Zhang Mouyi stood to his right.
And the defiantly proud Hou Hsiao-hsien took a slight step back,
positioning himself slightly behind and to the side of Jiang Ci.
A perfect triangular formation.
The live broadcast cara captured this scene completely, projecting it in real-ti onto the internet and the large screens on-site.
[Holy shit! This formation! What does this an?!]
[Wei Song on the left, Zhang Mouyi on the right, Director Hou Hsiao-hsien covering his rear! Is this the crown prince's ascension or sothing?!]
[No, this isn't a crown prince. This is the epito of the next decade in Chinese cinema!]
The seasoned reporters on-site were thrilled, realizing they were witnessing history.
Wei Song's gaze rested on Jiang Ci.
Suddenly, as if he had noticed sothing,
he reached out with utmost naturalness,
gently adjusting Jiang Ci's pigeon-blood red gemstone brooch upward a fraction,
positioning it perfectly for the caras.
After completing this action, his hand did not imdiately withdraw.
It slid down naturally, giving Jiang Ci's forearm a firm, aningful pat.
The movent was fluid, intimate, and familiar.
The large screen accurately captured this close-up.
In Wei Song's action, there was affection, pride, and an undisguised sense of "protecting my own."
This wasn't just adjusting clothing.
This was a declaration to the entire industry—
This kid, I've got his back.
Anyone who wants to ss with him, think twice.
Jiang Ci's body stiffened slightly at the touch, then quickly relaxed, quietly allowing the adjustnt.
Zhang Mouyi and Hou Hsiao-hsien exchanged a glance, seeing understanding and amusent on each other's faces.
The three directors simultaneously gestured for Jiang Ci to proceed first.
Jiang Ci gave them a slight nod of acknowledgnt,
then turned and, alone,
stepped onto that red carpet paved with both glory and scrutiny.
His hands hung naturally at his sides, his pace neither fast nor slow, each step terrifyingly steady.
He exuded an aura of cool detachnt.
The fan zones flanking the red carpet were quiet.
As Jiang Ci's figure drew near, there were no screams, no cheers.
Even the lights on the support light boards were instinctively dimd by many girls at this mont.
Looking at that thin yet still upright figure, their minds uncontrollably flashed to the physical examination report that had gone viral online.
Cortisol, 98.
A person who had pushed himself to "combat stress" levels.
A madman who had sacrificed his life for a role.
The sound of cara shutters rged into a continuous white noise.
But not a single reporter dared to shout as they usually would, "Jiang Ci, look here!" or "Smile!"
They just frantically pressed their shutters, recording this spectacle.
The aura emanating from Jiang Ci—a mixture of Broken Feeling and alienation—
caused all noise and intrusion to simply dissipate.
He reached the autograph board at the midpoint of the red carpet.
A hostess respectfully handed him a marker.
Jiang Ci took it.
He did not sign his na in the most prominent, central Center Position like other celebrities.
He simply found an inconspicuous corner near the edge,
and stroke by stroke, wrote two characters.
Jiang Ci.
The handwriting was neat, yet carried a vigor and steadiness completely at odds with his age.
After signing, he returned the marker to the hostess and continued forward.
Ahead lay the dia interview zone.
The Host was a well-known "fast-talker" in the industry, famous for her sharp questions and fearlessness of offending people.
She had long prepared a barrage of pointed questions, ready to "challenge" this rising star.
"Teacher Jiang Ci, regarding the on-set leaked video circulating online, what would you like to say to your concerned fans?"
"Soone reported you for using prohibited substances. Although it was later proven to be a false alarm, what is your take on this? Will you pursue the reporter's responsibility?"
"Being nominated for Best Actor this ti and competing on the sa stage with a senior like Teacher Liu Wei, are you confident?"
She had even planned her follow-up moves, ready for whatever answer Jiang Ci might give.
Holding the microphone, a professional smile on her face, she watched Jiang Ci approach step by step.
Three ters.
Two ters.
One ter.
She was just about to open her mouth.
However, Jiang Ci didn't even pause for a mont. Without a sideways glance, he walked right past her.
He directly, completely, bypassed the entire interview zone.
The Host stood there holding the microphone, her smile frozen, utterly bewildered in the late autumn evening breeze.
He just… walked away?
The interview zone is a fixed part of the red carpet process. How dare he?!
The live stream Bullet Comnts exploded.
[Hahahahahahahaha he's on a rampage! Jiang Ci is on a rampage!]
[Host: I prepared three hundred questions, and he didn't even look at ?]
[So satisfying! So damn satisfying! This is the prestige level a top star should have!]
[He's not arrogant. He genuinely doesn't care. Fa, misunderstanding, glory… these things, to him, probably aren't even worth a bowl of grilled cold noodles from a street vendor.]
Jiang Ci walked straight towards the entrance to the inner venue.
Just as he was about to step into the darkness and disappear from the caras for the final ti.
He stopped and looked back towards the far end of the red carpet.
The director decisively cut to a close-up shot at that very mont.
An enlarged face appeared on all screens.
That face still carried the resolve of Xiang Yu gazing at the Wu River, and the exhaustion of Jiang He collapsing in a pool of blood.
These ultimate tragic roles had washed over and fused within him, ultimately leaving behind a vast emptiness.
Yet deep within that emptiness, a stubborn, pure fla belonging to the actor Jiang Ci still burned.
These two extre temperants rged eerily within him.
At this mont, everyone present was moved by his gaze.
Then, he turned, and his figure completely vanished into the darkness.
Behind him, the red carpet lay quiet, leaving behind countless stunned souls.
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